Vehicle wheel assemblies have taken on more aerodynamic shapes and have been reduced in material thickness to enhance the ride performance and appearance of modern, high performance vehicles. It is known to provide wheel assemblies with plated surfaces or a cladding of thin plastic over the wheel outboard surface to enhance their aesthetic appearance. Although the appearance of the wheel assemblies is enhanced by these plating and cladded surfaces, the strength and bending stiffness of the wheel assemblies is largely unaffected by their presence. As such, the metal material that forms the wheel must provide the entirety of the strength and bending resistance required for the vehicle. Although the metal can be formed to meet the strength and bending resistance requirements, it comes at a cost, including increased weight and size of the wheel, as well as the cost of the metal material itself.